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DAY 1 - CHAPTER 8: SETTING ANALYSIS

How Authors Use Setting to Create Mood

📖 Week 03 - Day 1

🎯 Focus: How setting affects mood and atmosphere

📚 Chapter 8: Alex faces the tribal council

Today's Learning Goals

How Setting Creates Mood

SETTING = WHERE + WHEN the story happens

PURPOSE: Authors use setting details to make readers FEEL emotions

Examples:

  • Dark, shadowy places → Scary feelings
  • Bright, open places → Happy feelings
  • Crowded, loud places → Exciting feelings

Signal Words:

  • Location: in, at, near, inside, outside
  • Time: morning, evening, night
  • Mood: dark, bright, scary, peaceful

Example from Chapter 8

"Alex enters the council chamber where 'flickering torchlight creates dancing shadows' and 'the council members sit on raised platforms above him.'"

Teacher Thinking:

Practice with Sentence Frames

Example: "The high walls with guards" makes the setting feel...
A) Welcoming and safe     B) Threatening and dangerous ✓

Sentence Frames for Today:

DAY 2 - CHAPTER 9: VOCABULARY FOCUS

Word Parts Give Us Clues to Meaning

📖 Week 03 - Day 2

🎯 Focus: Prefixes, Suffixes & Parts of Speech

📚 Chapter 9: Alex moves cautiously through the village

Parts of Speech Review

The Building Blocks of Sentences

Every word in a sentence has a job to do!

NOUNS

Job: Name people, places, things, or ideas

Examples: Alex, village, council, fear

Test: Can you put "the" in front of it?

"The village had an ominous atmosphere."

VERBS

Job: Show action or state of being

Examples: walked, is, felt, dissipated

Test: Can you change its tense?

"Alex moved through the village."

ADJECTIVES

Job: Describe nouns (which one? what kind? how many?)

Examples: ominous, dark, three, nervous

Test: Can it go before a noun?

"The dark clouds gathered overhead."

ADVERBS

Job: Describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs (how? when? where?)

Examples: cautiously, very, yesterday, here

Test: Does it often end in -ly?

"Alex moved cautiously through the village."

Prefixes and Suffixes: Word Detective Tools

Break Apart Words to Find Meaning!

PREFIX (beginning) + ROOT (middle) + SUFFIX (ending)

Common PREFIXES (Beginning)

  • dis- = not, away (dissipated)
  • un- = not (uncertain)
  • re- = again (return)
  • pre- = before (preview)
  • mis- = wrong (misunderstand)
Example: DIS + appeared = disappeared
"The smoke disappeared into the air."

Common SUFFIXES (Ending)

  • -ly = in a way (cautiously)
  • -ness = state of being (restlessness)
  • -ful = full of (fearful)
  • -less = without (powerless)
  • -ive = having quality of (apprehensive)
Example: rest + LESS + NESS = restlessness
"The restlessness kept him awake."

Practice Breaking Apart Today's Words:

• cautiously = caution + ous + ly (in a careful way)

• dissipated = dis + sipated (scattered away)

• restlessness = rest + less + ness (state of being without rest)

Today's Word Detective Work

DISSIPATED

Definition: scattered and spread out until it disappeared

Word Parts: dis- (away) + sipated (scattered)

"Alex watched as the smoke from the evening fires dissipated into the cool night air, leaving only the faint smell of wood ash."

In Your Own Words: The smoke went away and spread out until you couldn't see it anymore.

CAUTIOUSLY

Definition: carefully and slowly, watching for danger

Part of Speech: adverb (tells HOW an action is done)

"Alex moved cautiously through the village streets, his eyes scanning every doorway and shadow, unsure of what the villagers might think of him."

In Your Own Words: Alex walked very carefully because he was worried about what might happen.

OMINOUS

Definition: threatening; suggesting that something bad will happen

Feeling it Creates: worried, scared, nervous

"The village had an ominous atmosphere that evening, with dark clouds gathering overhead and the usual sounds of daily life strangely absent."

In Your Own Words: The village felt scary and like something bad was about to happen.

RESTLESSNESS

Definition: the state of being unable to rest or stay still

Word Parts: restless + ness (state of being)

"Alex could sense the restlessness among the villagers as they waited for the council's decision, shifting nervously and whispering among themselves."

In Your Own Words: The villagers couldn't sit still because they were worried and nervous.

APPREHENSIVE

Definition: worried or anxious about what might happen in the future

Part of Speech: adjective (describes how someone feels)

"Alex felt increasingly apprehensive as he approached the council chambers, his heart racing with uncertainty about what judgment awaited him."

In Your Own Words: Alex was worried and scared about what the council would decide to do with him.

VIGILANCE

Definition: careful watching and staying alert for danger

Similar Words: watchfulness, alertness, caution

"Dan had taught Alex that survival in this world required constant vigilance - always watching, always listening, always ready for the unexpected."

In Your Own Words: Alex learned he had to always pay attention and watch for danger to stay safe.

DAY 3 - CHAPTER 10: SETTING COMPARISON

How Characters Adapt to New Environments

📖 Week 03 - Day 3

🎯 Focus: Comparing settings and character growth

📚 Chapter 10: Alex adapts to his new work life

Today's Analysis Focus

Alex's Journey Through Different Settings

CHAPTER 8: Council Chamber

Setting: Formal, intimidating meeting room

Atmosphere: Dark, threatening, oppressive

Alex's Feelings: Powerless, nervous, threatened

Alex's Behavior: Passive, scared, defensive

Purpose: Judgment and punishment

CHAPTER 10: Work Environment

Setting: Collaborative workspace

Atmosphere: Hopeful, active, productive

Alex's Feelings: Confident, capable, respected

Alex's Behavior: Active, learning, contributing

Purpose: Integration and skill-building

The Change Shows:

Alex grows from powerless → capable | fearful → hopeful | outsider → community member

Finding Evidence of Alex's Growth

Key Changes in Alex:

Sentence Frames:
"The setting changed from ____ to ____."
"In the new setting, Alex feels ____ because ____."
"This change shows that Alex is ____."
DAY 4 - WRITING WORKSHOP

5-Part Response Method

📖 Week 03 - Day 4

🎯 Focus: Structured written responses using text evidence

📚 Topic: How setting affects mood and character development

5-Part Response Structure

1. TOPIC SENTENCE - Restate the question

"The different settings in Chapters 8-10 have a strong impact on Alex's emotional state."

2. SUPPORTING DETAIL #1 - First evidence + explanation

"In Chapter 8, the intimidating council chamber makes Alex feel nervous and powerless."

3. SUPPORTING DETAIL #2 - Second evidence + explanation

"In Chapter 9, the ominous village atmosphere makes Alex feel anxious and watchful."

4. SUPPORTING DETAIL #3 - Third evidence + explanation

"By Chapter 10, the collaborative work environment helps Alex feel more hopeful."

5. CONCLUSION - Wrap up and restate main point

"These setting changes clearly show how environment affects character emotions."

Your Writing Tasks

LIFE SKILLS LA (1 response):

How do the different places in Chapters 8-10 make the story more interesting? Use examples from the text.

LANGUAGE ARTS 1-4 SC (2 responses):

Prompt 1: Explain how the different settings help create mood and atmosphere.

Prompt 2: Compare Alex's reactions to different settings. What does this reveal about his character?

Requirements: Use 5-Part Response Method | Include text evidence | Explain connections

Writing Workshop Guidelines

Writing Time: 35-40 minutes

Conference Schedule:

  • Minutes 1-8: Life Skills LA support
  • Minutes 9-16: LA 1-2 SC help
  • Minutes 17-24: LA 3-4 SC guidance
  • Minutes 25-32: Struggling writers
  • Minutes 33-40: Final revision

Success Checklist:

  • Clear topic sentence
  • Three supporting details with evidence
  • Explanations connecting evidence to main point
  • Strong conclusion
  • Proper spelling and grammar